Member Association News: CAN Appoints Women's Soccer Coaching Staff for Belgrade 2009
August 22nd, 2008
Graham Roxburgh head coach of Canada's women's soccer team
Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the appointment of Trinity Western University’s Graham Roxburgh as head coach of Canada’s women’s soccer team for the 25th Summer Universiade set to take place July 1-12, 2009, in Belgrade, Serbia. Accompanying Roxburgh in Serbia will be assistant coach Liz Jepsen from the University of Alberta and team leader Jorge Sanchez from Concordia University. This will be the first tour of duty for all three at the Universiade. “Anytime you get the chance to represent your country at an international event it is something special and I am deeply honoured to be given this opportunity,” said Roxburgh. “It will be a privilege to work with some of the great talent within CIS women’s soccer, as well as with a great coaching staff.” “Having travelled a lot overseas on various touring teams, there is no doubt that these are experiences of a lifetime for all involved. Our aim will be to make Belgrade 2009 something very special, both in terms of the competition and in representing both Canada and CIS on and off the field.” A veteran of numerous international competitions with Canadian women’s and men’s soccer teams, Roxburgh has been head coach at Trinity Western since 1998. Since the Spartans joined CIS in 2001, he has led TWU to one national title (2004) and a pair of Canada West crowns (2006, 2004). He was named BCCAA Coach of the Year in 1998 and the Spartans were chosen BC Sport Team of the Year in 2004. Jepsen, who became head coach at Alberta in 2005, was named CIS coach of the year in 2006 in her second season at the helm. She has won a pair of CIS championships with the Pandas, one as a player in 1989 and one as an assistant coach in 2001. Sanchez is head coach at Concordia since 2002 and has been president of the CIS Women’s Soccer Coaches Association since 2005.
Women’s soccer made its Universiade debut as a demonstration sport in 1993 when the Games were hosted in Buffalo and the women’s soccer tournament was held in Hamilton. The sport became an official Universiade discipline in 2001 in Beijing, China. Canada has finished fifth on two occasions, first in Buffalo when six teams competed in the tourney and then in Izmir, Turkey, in 2005 when 12 countries participated in the event. The Canadians were 10th out of 16 teams at the last Summer Universiade in 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. Canada’s results in women’s soccer at Summer Universiade (5 previous appearances): 2007 (Bangkok, Thailand): 10th/16 teams 2005 (Izmir, Turkey): 5th/12 2003 (Daegu, South Korea): 10th/11 2001 (Beijing, China): 11th/12 1993 (Buffalo, USA): 5th/6
